Trafalgar Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. A sentiment shared by many is that there is a friend for everyone at this school.

Pupils enjoy helping others and taking care of the school. They willingly on additional responsibilities. For example, at breaktimes, anti-bullying ambassadors help pupils sort out any problems that may arise.

Pupils in Year 5 take on the role of 'buddy' to pupils in Year 2 in the federated infant school. This helps pupils in the infant school prepare to move up to the junior school smoothly.

Typically, pupils live up to leaders' high expectations for behaviour.

They behave appropriately both in class and around the school. If any bullying oc...curs, leaders deal with it swiftly and effectively.

Leaders want all pupils to benefit from everything that the school has to offer, including residential educational visits.

They provide many wider opportunities for pupils, including a range of clubs such as sewing and dance. Leaders make sure that all pupils who attend sports clubs also take part in inter-school competitions.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders prioritise reading.

Leaders recently changed the school's approach to early reading and phonics. This is to make sure teaching is consistent for pupils at the early stages of learning to read. All teaching staff are trained to teach phonics and some have specific phonics expertise that helps to support pupils' early reading.

Leaders and teaching staff check the letter sounds that pupils know when they join the school. Teaching and reading books are matched to the phonics that pupils know, to help pupils become competent and confident readers. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders work together with external professionals, including therapists and psychologists, who provide training for teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, teachers make appropriate adaptations to teaching for pupils with SEND.

The school's curriculum matches the scope and ambition of the national curriculum.

Leaders think carefully about the most important knowledge for pupils to know and remember in subjects. Typically, key knowledge is sequenced logically from the start of Year 3 onwards. Subject leaders work collaboratively with external subject experts.

This helps them to build strong subject knowledge. Teachers check that pupils know and remember prior subject knowledge and vocabulary. They use this information to identify gaps in knowledge and address these through teaching.

Typically, pupils connect what they learned before to current learning. For example, pupils in Year 6 learned about human and physical geographical features in Year 3, which helped them to describe geographical features in North America in Year 6. A few subjects are at an earlier stage of development.

In these subjects, knowledge is not sequenced as effectively and important changes in curriculum thinking have not been made as explicit to teachers.

Pupils are well behaved in class. Where incidents of low-level disruption occur, teachers address these swiftly.

As a result, learning continues with minimal interruption. Leaders regularly award a 'peace prize' to pupils voted for by their classmates in recognition of their contribution to making the school a happy place to be.

Leaders provide appropriate support for pupils' personal development.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education is carefully sequenced. Pupils are taught about the significance of consent and the importance of healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. They are also taught about different types of families, cultures and traditions.

The governing body hold leaders to account effectively. Leaders and governors consult staff on workload and provide support for their well-being. Many members of staff said that they feel highly valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide appropriate safeguarding training for school staff. They keep staff updated through additional training regularly.

Staff know the signs that may indicate a pupil needs help. They know their responsibility to report concerns swiftly to leaders and externally if necessary. Leaders follow up concerns appropriately.

They seek external advice and support to make sure receive support with their welfare and safety.

Pupils are provided with important information about safety. They are taught what to do if they come across inappropriate online content.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, knowledge is not sequenced as effectively as in others and important changes in curriculum thinking have not been made explicit to teachers. As a result, sometimes, teaching does not emphasise the most important information. Leaders must complete the development of all subjects and provide training for staff to implement the curriculum effectively.